Updated June 4, 2024 at 5:52 pm
More original than the parasol, lighter than the pergola, the awning is the perfect companion for summer lunches. With it, you can enjoy a nap without the risk of sunburn or a shady meal. Shopping.
Often attached to the facade of the house or building, the awning is often positioned over a bay window or window. However, it can be placed in the center of an urban terrace or a small plot in its standing version. Perfect for creating a shaded area in the garden or protecting your dining area on a balcony, it becomes the decorative ally of all exteriors, large and small. We yield to its ultra-practical side, which can be unfolded as soon as the sunny days arrive to avoid sunburn or which allows us to have lunch in peace, even in a light summer rain. Beyond protecting us from the vagaries of the weather, its presence, deployed or not, changes the face of our home. For a wildly retro look, right in the spirit of the times, we’ll choose a canvas with wide stripes in sharp shades and scalloped edges. Be careful, check with your city hall or copro to find out what is possible in terms of colors, sizes and even make sure you can install one.
Do you know everything before finding your awning?
Much more than for its style, we choose a model adapted to its exterior and its needs. Whatever our preference, we carefully calculate the surface area needed to cover to accommodate the entire tribe. We do not forget that the sun moves throughout the day and the seasons, so its radiation must be taken into account to define the sheltered area. The greater the advance, the more it will isolate us. The most common commercial size is 3.5 m, but it can be up to 4 m long. Under this, these curtains are more suitable for small areas. Graphic style effect or XXL spot? It is possible to multiply them to create semi-shady, semi-sunny spaces, offering much greater flexibility of use than shade sails and with a less imposing appearance than the pergola.
We don’t ignore the site either. It must be resistant and offer good sun protection. Polyester remains the most accessible in terms of investment, but is more delicate with a higher rate of wear. Microperforated models resist UV well, but acrylic wins the prize by filtering both UVA and UVB. Adding a lambrequin (a piece of fabric at the edge of the blind) helps protect against oblique rays.
The manual marquee
Classic and less expensive, the manual awning will require a little more elbow grease to deploy. The more we have, the more physical the task will risk not wanting to use it anymore. It is also more delicate in use due to the turns of the crank that wear out the mechanism faster.
The motorized awning
Among motorized blinds there are two types: those with wall switches and those with remote control. The second, easy to install, does not require connection to the control box. Although more expensive than manual versions, they are mainly appreciated for their comfort of use and their durability. Another advantage is that some models are almost invisible once rolled up in their shape.
How to install an awning?
We start by taking the dimensions to set them at the right height to easily move underneath, so between 2.5m and 3m. So positioned, depending on its opening angle, it will leave approximately 2m between the ground and the canvas to take full advantage of it without hitting your head. Once this step is completed, we mark the places to be drilled before fixing the support with dowels and screws adapted to the material of the wall that will support it. Then comes the time to seal everything and finally the installation of the blind. It is better to be experienced to avoid the case falling and other risks related to poor assembly. No one will blame us for calling a professional to avoid this exercise.
Where to buy your awning?
Increasingly democratized and less and less old-fashioned, awnings are available both in specialized stores and in large brick-and-mortar stores. If their shape varies just a little, their appearance and resistance will make the difference to protect us from the sun as long as possible without losing any of its aesthetics.